Quarantine
by Selbyzipper
Summary: Daryl returns late enough at night that most are asleep after the hoard filled run that we saw in the sneak peak from last week, and it turns out sickness can inspire a bit of boldness.


**A/N:** This might be dumb, but I am working on trying to get inspired to write again. I had some IRL stuff that killed my creativity for a while. So, if you are reading this because you read some of my other things know that I do actually plan on returning to them (Especially **Firsts** which is my favorite thing I have written, though few have read it) I didn't believe it when I first started writing, but comments do actually fuel creativity. So, if you were to do that would be cool. (This was written in about an hour and is totally unbetaed so if there are any mistakes are 100% mine and please feel free to tell me so I can fix them!)

Thanks for reading - Selbyzipper

Quarantine

"What are you doing?" Daryl leaned heavily against a nearby wall still dripping from his shower. He watched Carol scrub at his blood soaked button down shirt. She sat near an old metal wash tub with a small pile of the clothes Daryl had on when he had gotten back from the latest run. "There are other people who do this, remember? Someone can do it in the morning."

"Not anymore, almost everyone is sick." Carol picked up his under shirt and watched as a wet chunk of bloody hair and flesh loosened from the shirt landing with a loud splat. "That's pretty gross."

"I've got more clothes, Hell, I think I have more clothes now then I ever did before all of this. Just burn 'em".

She huffed as she stood wiping her hands off on her pants, "Fine, but don't come complaining to me when you can't find your favorite pants."

"Ha!" Daryl barked out a laugh, "Those ain't my favorite."

"But it's the pair that actually fits you; all your other pants are too big. You look good in them…" Carol grinned at him, hopping to make him blush.

"Yeah?" He looked at the ground kicking slightly at the dust.

"Your right, we should burn them. It just invites too many of the women around here to ogle you. Your already too popular at it is." She grabbed the few pieces of clothing from the ground. As she walked past Daryl she swung her hips slightly to bump him and gave him a huge smile.

"What are you grinning at? People are sick and dying all around here and you are grinning like a fool." He shook his head as he followed her out of the laundry area.

"I'll take my happiness where I can find it. You came back, you got the flu medicine, and the docs think it is enough to treat everyone who is left." She tossed the clothes into a burn bin.

"So, you're smiling because I came back?" He looked at her hopefully.

"Yes. You're my best friend; of course I am happy you are back healthy and unharmed." She paused for a moment, "Though I am a little disappointed that I won't get to stare at your ass in those jeans anymore"

"Stop." He scoffed at her. He watched her bustle around the common area picking up a discarded food wrapper, a lost chess piece, and a rag off a table.

"Who's to say I'm not serious?"

"You're not. Which cell is open? I'm exhausted." He again was following her out of the room, this time toward the block of cells they now referred to as quarantine.

"None. I told you, almost everyone is sick. I think there are only 4 people left over in C. You have two choices. You can bunk with someone and hope they don't turn in the night, or you can head down to solitary, but that's were the sickest people go, and I can't imagine the moaning is easy to fall asleep to." Carol picked up a chain and a d-ring hook out of a box by the doorway.

"What's that for?" he asked quietly as the room was dark and most were sleeping.

"My cell's lock is busted. I'm not waking up to teeth on me." She stopped at a cell and checked the lock offering only a mumbled "Lizzie and Mica.", as she continued on to the next cell.

Daryl followed her into the cell and began to set down his things, crossbow in the corner, boots kicked off next to it, leather vest flung to the floor.

"Uh… Daryl? What are you doing?" Carol grinned at him and leaned on the bunk bed, gesturing to the missing mattress on the top.

"You said to bunk up with someone, we've shared our cell for months…" He trailed off as he saw what she meant.

"You can stay, but we'll be a little closer than I think you were expecting." She sat down at the edge of the bed and began pulling off her boots. "I gave the other mattress to the girls, one of theirs was covered in blood."

"Uh… Its fine. I. Uh. I don't mind" Daryl stammered. Thoughts of her body pressed against him flitting through his mind. They had shared warmth often before finding the prison, but that was out of necessity. He was given an option to go someplace else and he was choosing to stay with her. It felt different. Almost as if they both knew something would change if he stayed. He took the chain from her hands and went to secure the cell door, taking the chance to clear his mind and breathe.

When he turned back she was lying back on the bed. "Do you want the inside or the outside?

"Inside" He blurted without thinking. As he walked slowly back to the bed he realized two things. First, that this decision trapped him in bed with her, and second that he was going to have to climb over her to get there. As he climbed over her there was a moment when his body was flush against hers. Instead of looking away or making some comment, Carol gazed into his eyes and sighed.

"What?" Daryl studied her as he flopped down next to her shoulder to shoulder, both staring at the ceiling through the metal caging above them.

"It's nothing. I'm just glad your home." She smiled, closed her eyes and snuggled into the bed.

"You just want to stare at my ass." Daryl grinned and side-eye glanced at her.

Her shocked expression and eruption of giggles was worth his boldness. He was getting better at teasing her as much as she teased him. Her giggles slowly transformed into coughs. She wiped the spittle from her hand to her pant leg and tried to turn away.

"You sick?" with out thinking Daryl began running his hands over any exposed skin feeling for a fever.

"I'm fine, little cough is all" She kept her back to him.

"No, you're sick and you weren't gonna tell me."

"I took some Tylenol, I'll be fine until I get some of that super juice you brought home. Stop worrying"

"What if you turn in the night and chew my throat out?"

"I won't. Either I'll be fine, or you'll hear it and put me down. You don't have to stay with me if you don't want." Carol said in a small voice.

"I don't know if I can do that." Daryl said just as softly.

"Do what?" She turned back to him.

"If this is your last night alive, I don't think I can leave" He moved his face so that he wasn't able to look in her eyes. He already knew exactly what she looked like and he knew if he looked her in the eye, wet with almost tears and pupils blown in the dark, he would do something bold.

"Please look at me" she whispered.

He was right. As soon as he made eye contact his brain shut off and he leaned forward catching her lips with his. His lips were cracked and his mouth was dry but he couldn't take his mouth away from hers. Carol responded quickly, nipping slightly at his bottom lip and running her tongue along the seam of his mouth until he groaned slightly granting her access to intensify the kiss. His hands resting on her hips pulled her under him as he moved his mouth in open kisses along her jaw to just under her ear, and then slowly down her neck. She moaned and arched her back, pressing fully against him.

As suddenly as their kiss started he pulled himself away and was standing next to the bed.

"Daryl?" Carol half sat up still panting slightly from arousal.

He was leaning in the corner, slipping is boots back on. "I've gotta go get Hershel."

"Why did you…" Carol stopped; her mind quickly changed what she planed on asking, unsure she wanted the answer, "Now you're going to get sick too."

He shrugged, "I just didn't want to not have done that." His face betrayed him with a blush.

"Oh." Carol smiled at him with her own blush creeping into her face.

He unchained the cell gate and stepped out. Daryl paused to glance back at her. He decided that maybe he should try a bolder move. He stalked back to her side, leaning down to give her a hard needy kiss. "Don't go anywhere." He commanded.

Carol grinned again. "You know, if you are going to keep doing that, I may not try to get better…" She chuckled slightly at the smirk on his face.

"Well that's too bad, there are so many other things I would do if you weren't sick…" He tossed her another cheeky grin.

"Stop teasing me Daryl," Carol's voice was low and growly,"That's not how we work, I tease. You blush." She licked her lips and obviously raked her eyes over his body. "You keep this up and I am going to take you seriously."

"That's the plan" Daryl said softly, leaned down and kissed her again gently. "I'll be right back with Hershel."


End file.
